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Does Medicare Cover Counseling?

Outpatient Medicare Counseling

Medicare Part-B provides assistance for some outpatients who might need counseling. The sole reason for this counseling is to establish a person’s diagnosis. This means that Medicare will only pay 80% of the certified amount during the first visit to a psychiatrist. There are some people who experience trauma after an extensive surgery or a disease that was fatal. These patients will need therapy after treatment to stabilize their mental states some of which they cannot control while others can be controlled.

Other Visits after Initial Visit

Medicare will pay 55% of the certified amount after the initial visit to the mental health practitioner. This percentage will pay for the rest of the counseling but a patient will have to use medical insurance and other means to top up the remaining amount.

Counseling Services

Medicare allows patients to have group or individual therapy and it pays for each session with the amount deducted after the first visit to the therapist. Family counseling for outpatients is also considered and this is mainly to help these outpatients and their families know how to help with home treatment. Medicare takes the initiative to make sure an outpatient is getting the required counseling. Activity therapies such as dance, music and art therapy are some of the things suggested for successful treatment of outpatients. Occupation therapy and also training are some of the most important things Medicare includes as the list of things a patient should be counseled on because after treatment, a patient who is an adult should be able to find a job or create a career. Training means that the outpatient is taught how to administer treatment when at home concerning the condition in question.